More than £1,000 has been raised for Royal British Legion and The Veterans Charity at the Cornish Pirates’ opening two league games.

At their first home game in terrible conditions against London Scottish £300 was raised for The Veterans Charity.

The charity’s representative Jimmy Clark, who wrote to thank the Pirates for allowing them to collect at the opening Championships match, said: “Considering the slightly damp conditions, Pirates fans again showed their support for the veteran community, and we collected a fantastic £334.65 which will go a long way to help veterans and their families in their hour of need.” 

Also, on the night, Iain Henderson brought along a special wreath. 

It is a hand-made wreath by veterans in Cornwall made of scallop shells, wood (the ring-shaped base), which is wrapped in hessian as used in sandbags and barbed wire (made from leather for health and safety) to represent the D-Day defences the troops would have to come up against in June 1944.

The Poppies are painted red, black – for Commonwealth troops, white – for peace, and purple – for the animals of war.  

The wreath played a major role in the build-up to Armed Forces Day in Cornwall this summer and has since visited D-Day sites and will head up to London as part of Poppies to Paddington. Next year, along with seven other wreaths, it will sail onboard a Royal Navy warship to Normandy.

At the at the Pirates’ next match against Bedford Blues £773.93 were raised for the Royal British Legion.

Leading the group was Brian Venn, the Poppy Appeal organiser in Penzance who is well known about the town.

Thanking the Cornish Pirates and the supporters present at the match, he said: “The Pirates, as long-time supporters of the Royal British Legion, annually help arrange for a collection to take place on a match occasion in their calendar which is nearest to Remembrance Day.

“It is an opportunity not taken for granted, and on behalf of the Legion I would like to once again thank both the club and the always generous rugby supporters, plus those who helped with the collection.”